I've been working on my fall wardrobe lately scouring "new arrivals", sorting out the old, and refining my personal style as much as possible. I've come to find that I look for these types of apparel and accessories when I get dressed in the morning to complete my outfits and accomplish a layered look. A few are statements on their own and the rest are essential to keep warm and stay cute. If my wardrobe was an emoji it would probably be the blushing one and smirk one combined, or at least that's how I feel when I look in the mirror lol.

A question that has been on my mind lately is, "Why can't I?" Why can't I make the art that I want, Why can't I learn all the skill sets known to man, and Why can't I let myself to do so...? I'm pretty sure it boils down to time and money, but most importantly myself. Some days I get super excited when I design or draw something and make these plans to turn it into something more. And some days I second guess myself. I end up in the same spot I was the day before and my art work sits there for my dog to admire. I appreciate it and all, but I want to share it with the world because I really feel like I have something different to offer. Not just different, but honest and true.

I've noticed this about myself not just in my career, but in my health, and fears I have yet to overcome. I can see the end results, its just the getting there that I'm having a difficult time with and it has all been in my mind. I have even found it difficult to believe in the compliments loved ones give me. I kind of feel shocked and then weird that I don't see myself the way that they do. That I don't even believe in myself as much as they do and that needs to change.

Can I just say that if I could favorite a whole entire month, October would be it. This month was one of the best months of my life and I never say that. For this month's favorites I gravitated to specific products for comfort, purpose, and as always, details. It all began with that beautiful engagement ring below sitting pretty above its vintage jewelry box from Greece that I had purchased from Etsy. The ring itself is also a vintage piece my Fiance had purchased from Etsy so I thought they would go hand in hand. The jewelry box is covered in a gray leather with a white floral pattern and button closure. They were definitely meant to be <3

Where do I begin? Well hello, since I've last spoken to you I've recently gotten engaged <3 I promised I would share our engagement story and thought I should probably start by sharing a little bit about us and our long distance relationship.

It's been a little over 6 and a 1/2 years for Peter and I who also goes by John (he has two first names) and it's never been easy. Long distance is one of the weirdest emotional things I have ever experienced. One week your completely happy, the other extremely lonely, and everything in between. You're constantly waiting and savoring the time you actually do get to spend together and for us it wasn't much. Other than face timing and writing letters in the mail, we would see each other about 3-4 times a year just for a week or so. It requires prayer, love, patience, loyalty, trust, and honesty, the works you usually need in a relationship amplified times a million. But despite the distance, he has always been there for me. He's the one who makes me say "I wish you were here", he makes me feel like my happiest best self, he's the one who I've slept on the phone with for 6 years, and at times I questioned my capabilities I felt his support 403 miles away. Any relationship is hard when it's worth it and lucky for me I was blessed with a guy who made being distant easier than it really is by loving me so close.

I was the baby dressed in florals, sailor collars, and denim overalls. As a kid I would've laughed if you described to me how I dressed now a days. I was the ultimate tom boy stuck in my denim overalls posing with peace signs and arm flexes in every picture if it wasn't for church days. Even then I'd be climbing fences in my dress and making holes in my tights as they had a knack for getting caught at the most inconvenient times during tag. I just wanted to play outside and dressing up wasn't a big deal for me then. I put on what my mama gave me and when I got to choose my own outfit it was all about comfort and pockets(not much has changed).

Hi again. I hate to keep doing this to you, I promise it's not on purpose that I haven't been posting as much as I'd like to. But as Summer is beginning to fade and Fall takes it's first steps forward I took August to refresh myself. Organize, prioritize, and relieve myself of this mid 20's crisis so many people around me seem to be experiencing too. The pressure of being an adult, having a career, looking for a real job (whatever that is), even the idea of marriage can sometimes be scary but it is a part of life that we just have to take day by day anyway. I've been journaling in this peach leather bound journal which has really helped my thoughts take form and is something tangible I can look back on whenever I'd like (no wifi needed).

Hi there lovely people! I'm sorry for my absence, it's been one heck of a month for me but I'm back! After some time away from this little blog, I really went back to my roots on Tumblr and have decided to shoot in 35mm Film again starting this month! My Nikon FG has always been reliable and I can't wait to show you photo diaries for the upcoming months. It has gotten quite expensive to develop now a days but that won't stop me! Its totally worth it when I see my photos developed and I would love to share them with you too.

I just ate ice cream in the dark before I wrote this and just wanted to get my thoughts out there. When I sit down at my little desk and start to paint these illustrations it's nice to know that these mere doodles make my heart feel so happy and light. That's all I ever wanted to feel creating prints, doing what I love, it really doesn't get better then that. It's nice to know that I can put these images I see in my mind onto paper and make something of it. Especially today's print, the infamous ladder that I used to cringe about before having to use at work to put up a display, and now I'm a pro (I like to believe that). That's exactly how I felt before creating patterns like it was something I was scared to put out there, but now I'm embracing the things I make and this is the result <3

-Denny

P.S. I'll be visiting the east coast next week to celebrate my church's 101 year anniversary so stay tuned for a east coast travel diary on Instagram from yours truly!

Today's Paper Closet features one of my favorite bloggers Chaoyi Huan! I stumbled upon this beautiful lady's Instagram and instantly fell in love with her personal style and love for design. Make sure to check out her blog at chaoyihuan.com, I literally had heart eye emojis scrolling through her feed and know you will too!

1. How would you describe your personal style?

Eclectic, colorful, and whimsical - I like to mix and match patterns and pieces that have somewhat the opposite characters.

Anthropologie catalogs, street style and everyday style on Instagram and Pinterest, a book called Fashionable Selby, and people around me.

3. If you had to wear one pattern for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is a hard one! It comes down to choosing between polka dot and floral - and floral wins.

4. What made you want to switch careers and focus on design and styling?

The short answer is that I just love it too much. When I had the chance to decide on what to study and where to go to school in my early 20s, I followed the "safer" career path in studying and working in science, and it took me a very long time to realize that it's just not for me. It is definitely an ongoing journey of self-discovery, learning about what I like to do and what I can do. Design and styling is something that excites me and gets me out of bed every morning, so that's when I know it's time to do it.

5. Coffee or tea? and how do you take it?

I'm a tea drinker, but I love the smell of coffee! I prefer both hot and pure - loose leaf green/chai tea or black coffee.

-Denny

P.S. If you enjoy this outfit series and would like to be featured for the next months to come feel free to leave me your email in the comments and we'll get in touch! Thank you again for all the support!

Where the heck did June go? Before I knew it we're more then half way through the year and in 100+ degree weather here in Las Vegas. Nonetheless I'm more than thankful to have made it this far and I am so so thankful for all of you who continue to check up on this tiny blog of mine. This is as far as I have gone in putting myself out there and I couldn't be happier doing so. And I just wanted you all to know that I appreciate every like and every page view and comment I have received the past three months since I started blogging. I'm just going to say thank you before this turns too sappy and welcome July with a big hug. This month I promise to open up my Society6 shop, post more outfits, and get the ball rolling even more on my career as a blogger and designer.

I'm actually quite excited for Fall to hurry up because this heat makes me want to sleep all day and burns my bum in the car when you have leather seats. The days of pants are long gone and summer dresses are here to stay. Summer, well all year for me is the time for prints and colors to run free, but this time I think my neutrals are winning and I must say I'm quite impressed this year with what I've been seeing in stores and online. Here's another Wednesday round up to welcome a new month!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get on Instagram is how do I take my photos, or what filters do I use, and what camera do I take my pictures on. So today I thought I'd share some tips on how to better your photos and overall feel to your Instagram feed. I must warn you though it's not some top secret recipe, I simply follow these tips and add a hint of creativity to each photo, I hope this helps!

It's bad enough I can't keep away from the clothes, but when the tag sale comes around at Anthropologie knick knacks seem to find their way home with me. I've been in the process of decorating my room and having these bits and pieces to wake up to every morning puts a smile on my face. The vase is from Marshalls and the beautiful fake flowers which I might add are hard to find that actually look real are from West Elm.

I had the most amazing Saturday this past weekend in Los Angeles. Every year my church celebrates the college graduates in our district by holding a ceremony and dinner. This year it was held at Lot 613 in downtown and it was nothing short of beautiful and amazing.

I still can't believe that May is already over, certainly wished it lasted a while longer but nonetheless here are my May favorites this month that have really helped me transition from Spring to Summer!

Can cameras be a staple? Because I feel like everyone should have a Fuji Film Instax of some type to capture all the memory making this Summer. Of course we have our iphones and digital cameras, but this instant camera is just always more fun to snap photos and have a physical memory to look back on. I forget sometimes how fun it is to see a picture develop so I like to take this baby out and display the photos with washi tape afterwards!

The summer heat came super early this year and it's no surprise we're already hitting 90 degrees here in Las Vegas. This top has to be one of my go to staples this summer for its light material and simplistic pattern. Its twirl worthy and has a beautiful easy silhouette. I added a pop of color with my favorite messenger bag big enough to carry the essentials that I could still be able to transition from day to night. I keep getting amazed as to how much things I can actually fit in it. (water bottles, fuji film instax camera, and even my glasses case) I finished the outfit off with a neutral hat to shade my face from the sun and cover my bangs when they just don't feel like cooperating. Heres to more summer days!

Hello lovely readers, sorry for my absence from the blogging world for a bit. It was my birthday last week and I spent the whole week with Peter after not seeing each other for eight months he was the only thing I wanted to stare at lol. Plus I posted a bunch on Instagram if you were curious to see where we ventured around the city. Thank you for all the birthday greetings and gifts and most especially your continued support of this little blog. We spent the majority of our week all over Las Vegas at coffee shops and restaurants downtown and finally somewhere close to home, The Mothership!

The cutest lapel pin by Adam J. Kurtz that I can imagine wearing on any blazer or denim jacket. Reminds me of Peter and how writing personal letters has been one of my favorite parts about being in a long distance relationship. Forever stamps for the win!

I will walk into this store just to smell this wonderful perfume. It's the perfect unisex sent that has hints of lavender and sandalwood and is overall a pleasant scent that isn't too overwhelming when I want to smell like a boy.

I discovered that I wanted to become a surface pattern designer in my last year of college. More then silhouettes it was the print that spoke to me when I would shop for clothes that represent me or made me feel a certain way. I was drawn to subtle artistic details and it wasn't long that I became obsessed. Not just in clothing but in other products such as a phone cases, stationary, and home decor. And now to be fulfilling my dream and putting my designs out there feels a little bit scary but nonetheless awesome. I'm excited for where I'll go from here and happy to have this little place to document it all. Thank you for all the support!

I must admit, being in my 20's has been somewhat difficult when you feel like a baby adult trying to figure out whats next after college. Pressure and expectations certainly don't help either when you're building a career for yourself and it seems too daunting. Some people get it right away and some like myself felt stuck for awhile. I've always had an idea of where I wanted to go but just never knew how to start until I pushed myself to follow my dreams. I'm a month away from turning 23 and have learned a few tips since I was 20 that I thought I'd share because I wish someone would have told me these things sooner, but you live and you learn anyway.

write it down

As a simple as it seems, not many people do it. I started carrying a moleskin with me everywhere so I'd have a place to put my thoughts when projects and deadlines seemed too overwhelming. It helped me to clear my mind and made things feels concrete. Once I was done I would cross it out and feel accomplished. My moleskin is filled with goals, to-do lists, pressed flowers, inspirations, plans of attack, and doodles for when I'm bored. Trust me it helps. I freak out a bit if I ever leave my moley at home because that's when ideas usually strike, but thank goodness for notes on my phone as a back up. I've gone through 4 of them so far and kept every one to look back on when I'm not quite feeling like myself and want to revisit my thought process.

step outside

I love staying at home, its comforting, weebo's home (my akita/bear), and I can watch HGTV all day long, but that isn't always a positive. Sometimes home can be the stressful place where you feel clutter and uninspired so I encourage you to step outside. Take in fresh air and go to a place you feel relaxed and focused. For me that's any coffee shop. No matter the noise or how many people are there I just feel in the zone and happy. Its also kind of motivating seeing other people working on their own things hogging all the wifi plus you smell like coffee when you leave.

grow everyday

You have 24 hours every day to do something for yourself and your career. No matter how small or big, everything counts. I think a lot of us have the misunderstanding of being inspired. Like those are the only times you can work or feel like working, but real progress comes from working on the days that you don't feel inspired. If you're able to get through that then you can get through anything. Inspired days are just a bonus.

support your support

When I felt stuck and in doubt, having people close to my heart push me to do my best and encourage me was everything. Especially when I would constantly second guess myself and bug them asking for their feedback and suggestions on things I was designing. Keep these kinds of people forever and do the same in return for them whenever they need your support. Success is great and all, but if you don't have anyone to share it with then what's the point?

live a full life

Life is short. It really is and we're reminded of that everyday. So do the things you love, venture out of your comfort zone, and if anything be honest with yourself. If you don't like your life change it for the better. If you love someone, confess and show it with all your heart. If you want to eat that blueberry donut, eat it. Follow your heart and make the most of each moment you're given because none of us know how many of those we'll have.

As much as Spring is for cleaning, I also consider it the season of "sprucing" up my wardrobe, state of mind, and home decor. Just to add a fresh touch and be inspired for the new season minus the allergies. I also love how I didn't have to break the bank for each of these items because they were $20 or less but add a huge impact to adding life to normal day things such as a reading or drinking a cup of earl grey tea.

Whoever said print was dying obviously hasn't read an issue of Darling Magazine. It's my go to publication to feel inspired, rejuvenated, and just plain happy. Even if you don't like to read the photography, recipes, and diy projects are amazing and fun to look at. This Spring issue also features one of my favorite youtubers Ingrid Nilsen!

I've really been loving the focus on indigo this season which is probably why I was drawn to this beautiful cup & saucer. I love how there's a message of LOVE at the bottom of each drink and how its too pretty just to sit in a cupboard but can look just as lovely on my sidetable. Its also the season of farmers markets which means tons and tons of berries and stained lips. The farmers market basket kind of tricked me into eating more fruit because of how cute it is!

I don't think monogrammed things will ever die, who doesn't love the first letter of their name. Its an easy way to make things personal especially a gallery wall or in my case a blank space in my entry way. It was the perfect size and the material just adds texture to boring walls. You can use single letters or spell out words like "sweet", "bird", and "someday". I hope this post inspires you to focus on the little things for spring and make every day routines a little more special.

When I think of inspiration, I can't pinpoint it. I can't say one thing, place, or person inspires me to create, its everything, everything is a diary. Breakfast for dinner, long distance love, your favorite dress, even a mistake. Every thing we experience makes us who we are and what we choose to do with it is entirely up to us. As for me I want to make something of myself and grow into the person I've always pictured I would be. This is my first step so welcome to my little blog that's not so little to me.